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In This Issue
Updated 2012 Classes
February Survey: HRC2 Hood
New Arc Flash Hazard Sign
OSHA Fines this Month
Burn Up the Myth
NEW Garment Requirements in NFPA 70E 2012
Arc Test Dates
FR vs. Arc Rated Commitment
NFPA 70E Free Webinar
ANSI Appoints Golovkov & Hoagland to IEC
ERI Safety Videos 2012 NFPA 70E
ISSA Resource Guide
Electrical Safety News
ASTM F1701-12 Revision
IEEE-ESW Best Paper Award
CSA Z462 Standard Video
IEEE-ESW Conference Report

Sponsor

Amplitude FR
Sponsor
 

Sponsor

Walls FR
Sponsor
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Fuse used
Arc Rating >8 See Colors
BSD Bildungs

e-Hazard Trainer Speaking Events

e-Hazard Trainers including Hugh Hoagland, Bill Shinn, Lee Hale, Drake Drobnick, Al Havens, Daleep Mohla and others speak at events all over the world. Here are some events where you can find us:

   

 1st Annual Pacific Coast Safety Fest 

Dublin, CA

Feb 27 - March 2, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

iP Safety Conference

San Antonio, TX

May 1 - May 3, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

Safety, Health & Environmental Professional Development Conference

ASSE Audubon Chapter & Tri-State Safety Ind'al Council

Univ of Southern Indiana

Evansville, IN

May 8-9, 2012

Bill Shinn

 

KY Governor's Health & Safety Conference

Louisville, KY

May 8 - May 11, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

IEEE I&CPS Conference

Louisville, KY

May 20 - May 24, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

IEEE-PPIC 

Portland, OR
June 17 - June 21, 2012   
Hugh Hoagland

 

28th Annual National VPPPA Conference 

Anaheim, CA

August 19 - August 23, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

DOE ESW

Los Alamos, NM

October 8 - October 12, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

NSC Council 

Orlando, FL  October 21- October 26, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

Upcoming Classes

 

NFPA 70E 2012 Electrical Safety in the Workplace 

LOW VOLTAGE QUALIFIED

  NFPA 70E-2012 

 

 

Louisville, KY

March 12, 2012

 

Denver, CO

March 20, 2012

 

Greensboro, NC

March 30, 2012

 

Reno, NV

April 17, 2012

 

Oklahoma City, OK

May 8, 2012

 

Tacoma, WA

June 5, 2012

 

Atlanta, GA

August 28, 2012

 

Louisville, KY

September 24, 2012

-----------------------

 

HIGH VOLTAGE QUALIFIED

 

Louisville, KY

March 13, 2012 

 

Louisville, KY

September 25, 2012

---------------------------

 

TRAIN THE TRAINER

 

LV HV Train The Trainer 

Louisville, KY

March 12 - 15, 2012 

 

LV HV Train the Trainer

Louisville, KY

September 24-27, 2012

------------------------

 

 CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE FUTURE TRAININGS

IEEE IAS Workshops
  
IEEE Mega Workshop Calgary 2010
Edmonton, Alberta
March 19-21, 2012
2012 IEEE - I&CPS Conference

  
Louisville, KY
May 20-24, 2012
2012 NSC Expo
  
October 21-26, 2012
Orlando, FL
Featured Product

Dickie's Electrician's Belt

Featured Product
NEW ArcSuspender with arc tested clips
Arc Flash Suspender Detail
Arc Flash Suspender
 


Featured Product
Carhartt

Carhartt Electrician's Belt
Our Sponsors
  

Sponsor

Walls FR
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Sponsor

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Updated 2012 Classes
2012 Class Cover E-Hazard courses and accompanying workbooks are updated with improvements - even from the last  Train the Trainer class just held in December. 
Over 350 trainers have been through the Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) Train the Trainer course with e-Hazard, and are qualified to teach using e-Hazard materials.  More trainers use e-Hazard training materials than all our competitors combined. 

 

Come to a class or attend our Train the Trainer course and experience the e-Hazard difference.  Competitors welcome.
 
 Low Voltage & LV Refresher
 High Voltage & HV Refresher
LV & HV Train the Trainer
 Operator's Class
 NESC - Coming Soon
We also schedule on-site / custom  classes at your place of employment.  e-Hazard can design a training program around your company's unique electric safety program needs. We've designed specific training for several industries around the country and around the world including petrochemical, waste management, welding, automotive, communications, military, metals and much more.
 
 
 
Quick Links
 

FEBRUARY 2012

Dear ArcLetter Member,

 

The ArcWear™ e-Hazard.com Electric Arc and Safety Newsletter provides a quick update on Arc Rated and Flame Resistant Clothing issues and news from OSHA and standards committees. The newsletter is FREE, reaches over 14,000 people and will bring you up to date on the issues that surround flame resistant clothing for flash fire hazards and the electric arc. For previous newsletters or to sign up, visit http://www.arcwear.com or http://www.e-Hazard.com

Take Our February Survey: Are you using a Hood at HRC 2 (NEW NFPA 70E Requirement)

 

 


Hood at HRC 2 Survey (HRC 2* Gone)
 

 

 

 New Arc Flash Hazard Sign
 
This new arc flash hazard safety cone has just been Arc Safety Conerecently introduced to the market, enabling 
companies to block-off a hazard area. This can make setting up the AFB or LAB easier. 

Arc Safety Cone 2
The "Handy Cone" is available through Targeting Customer Safety in Akron, OH.
e-Hazard.con and ArcWear.com do not sell or offically endorse this product but we like to let you know about interesting new products.
Fines by OSHA on Electrical Hazards

Most citations include electrical hazards. 

 

Fuse used




Burn Up the Myth:
1.2 cal/cm� PPE requirements 

Q: Fuse used  Fred (not his real name) wrote with this question:   "We've done an Arc Flash Study, and we have disconnects labeled as < = 1.2 cal/cm�, Category 0 PPE required. Can we operate them outfitted with a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, short sleeved cotton shirt and no gloves?"

 

A:  1.2 cal/cm� is the threshold for 2nd degree burn. As such, 70E, Table 130.7(C) 16 defines the clothing requirements for this level of protection to include, in addition the items you have listed, a long sleeved 100% non-melting natural fiber shirt and heavy duty leather gloves. If you were testing for the absence of voltage, you would need to include voltage rated gloves due to the shock hazard.

 

The rationale behind this is that, while the 1.2 cal/cm� of exposure is calculated at 18" to the torso, the workers hands and bare forearms would be much closer and, therefore, exposed to a higher incident energy. Thus, the likelihood of a 2nd degree burn is significantly higher.

 

If we use a test case of 42 Ka of fault current and a clearing time of .015 seconds @ 480v, this would yield 1.1 cal/cm2 of energy at 18".  Using the same parameters at 9", where the workers exposed hands and bare forearms would likely be, would result in 3.0 cal/cm� of energy. Exposed skin will certainly burn at 3.0 cal/cm�, but I cannot speculate if a burn at this exposure would require a skin graft or external medical treatments.

 

I would recommend following the PPE requirements of this exposure level per the NFPA 70E table definition as listed.

 

Thank you,

Lee Hale

 

  Fuse used

 

 Email e-Hazard or ArcWear with a question!

NEW NFPA 70E-2012 Garment Requirements 

NFPA 70E-2012 Changes Garment Design and End User Requirements

  1. Arc Rated vs. Flame Resistant (FR)  The NFPA 70E committee, being an work practice standard, has sought to end confusion over the misuse of the term "FR". FR is a very generic term which only has meaning in the framework of the hazard. Flash Fire clothing should meet a flash fire standard (such as NFPA 2112), electric arc hazard clothing should meet an arc standard (such as ASTM F1506), and firefighter clothing should meet a firefighter standard (such as NFPA 1975 or 1971). NFPA recently provided a clear statement against misusing NFPA 701 in garments. NFPA 701 is not allowed in garments and such use is a misuse of the standard opening the company to liability when labeling garments as flame resistant per that standard since it is only for "wall coverings", "curtains", "furniture" and other building uses NOT clothing. ASTM F1506, F1891, ASTM F2733 and NFPA 2112, NFPA 1975, NFPA 1971 are applicable for clothing in arc, flash fire, wildland firefighting, and structural firefighting respectively.
    Bottomline: Don't buy FR, buy by the proper standard.     
  2. No increase in arc-rating for adding cotton, wool or silk under arc rated clothing.
    While still allowed for use, the NFPA 70E committee clearly prohibits using cotton undergarments for increasing arc rating -- though this is allowed by NESC and by ASTM F1506. This more conservative approach has been justified by NFPA 70E due to the variability of undergarments (since no one has tested every undergarment) and by the variability of arc exposures (since calculating an 8 cal/cm� for a label does not mean you will never have >8 cal/cm� in a real life event). Preventing non-FR t-shirt ignitions will save a few lives per year. This can be accomplished by using an arc rated undershirt or ensuring that the outer suit is always at the arc rating required for the work. For layering data, see your garment manufacturer or check out ArcWear.com's arc rated layer data. 
    Bottomline: Consder arc-rated t-shirts.
      
  3. Non-melting zippers, findings and logos.  NFPA 70E 130.7(C)(11) states that AR clothing must meet certain performance characteristics beyond those in ASTM F1506.   "Clothing consisting of fabrics, zipper tapes, and findings made from flammable synthetic materials that melt at temperatures below 315�C (600�F), such as acetate, acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and spandex, either alone or in blends, shall not be used.  Informational Note: These materials melt as a result of arc flash exposure conditions, form intimate contact with the skin, and aggravate the burn injury."  This is a poorly worded section since it may not make garments safer but could make them more costly. There are flame resistant zipper tapes, but when normal zipper tapes are covered properly, they can comply with ASTM F1506. While I might prefer flame resistant zipper tapes, there is a danger in using them without thinking. Exposed zipper tapes can breakopen earlier than the fabric, making the garment unsafe at exposures below the garment rating. If these garments are worn UNDER a high level of protection or if sufficient arc rated materials are worn underneath, they might be unsafe but the end user should evaluate. Non-FR zipper tapes could work well if the garment is properly designed but they do make open the garment to a little more risk in some events. ASTM F1506 should be the guide, but we have seen some zipper cover designs which are in the market which are dangerous. Arc tested zippers  (NOTE: Zipper tapes are not arc rated but can be evaluated in a garment form) can solve issues of ignition if a zipper is not properly protected in the garment design.

    Reading the informational note, it could be understood that the committee did not intend to eliminate the use of common zipper tapes unless they could form intimate contact with the skin. This is yet to be cleared up. This is what ASTM F1506 would be interpreted to require today.  The key is that zipper design and installation should not make garments less protective than their arc rating and the zipper must be operable for removal after an arc event.
     
    Logos are not included in findings because NFPA 70E refers the user to ASTM F1506 which allows non-FR logos as long as their design does not increase the extent of an injury. See NFPA 70E 130.7(C)(13)(d) which points to ASTM F1506 for trim and logos. 
    Bottomline: Watch out for exposed zippers in arc rated clothing.
     
  4. New Arc Ratings based on ASTM F1959-06 with two layer "pre-ablation burn" measurements.  Some clothing systems have been down-rated due to a phenomenon often called the "double hump". Some clothing systems, specifically heavy layers over lighter layers, will sometimes allow burns on skin BEFORE the outer shell begins to "ablate" or open up to allow cooling immediately after the arc. The committee made a change to the test methods in 2005-2006 addressing this, but NFPA 70E pointed to the 1999 version of the standard F1959 which did not address this, so some system ratings were artificially higher than those tested since 2005. This applies to hoods and flash suits also, even though these systems are not inherently unsafe because of this phenomenon. The real issue is when arc flash suits are worn with no clothing underneath as substantial research by ArcWear.com for ASTM F18 and Westex shows that the pre-ablation burns do not occur when any additional garment is worn underneath the fabrics (hoods should be excluded since they do not touch the body at the fabric and are tested to > the arc rating of the fabric). A coverall tested over a shirt would potentially display this effect and could allow second degree burns in some odd cases. New systems should have a ASTM F1506-08 or new label.  
    Bottomline: Do not throw away an old arc flash suit due to the new pre-ablation burns change.
     
  5. Proper rounding of arc ratings now done at the ASTM F1959 level.  Starting in 2012, ArcWear at Kinectrics now round ASTM F1959 arc test ratings to the proper level for ASTM F1506. F1959 does not require rounding since it is a test method, but to avoid confusion in the market, all test reports will be rounded as required in the labels per ASTM F1506. Many labels have ratings to the 0.1 place which is not technically correct beyond 9 cal/cm�.   Ratings from 10 cal/cm� and greater will be to the nearest cal/cm�. This is helpful for end users as 11.9's are 39.9's are now 12 and 40 cal/cm� respectively. This is what the ASTM F1506 standard has required for several years but was not being implemented at the garment labeling level.

 

 

  Fuse used

 

 Email e-Hazard or ArcWear with a question!

ArcWear™ Arc Testing Dates
 
Mar 26-30
Apr 23-27
May 28-Jun 1
Jun 25-29
July 16-20
 
ASTM F1959, ASTM F2178, ASTM F887 fall protection arc testing and mannequin testing are scheduled at the Kinectrics Lab in Toronto on the dates above.   
Ship materials or clothing to:   
Hugh Hoagland
ArcWear.com
13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd.
Suite E
Louisville, KY
40223
PH: 502-333-0510
arctesting@ArcWear.com   
We must receive materials or clothing one week before the test date for sample preparation, or make arrangements to ship to the lab in Canada. New and non US/Canadian Customers must make payment before test date.  Testing is offered on a first come/first served basis with priority for consulting customers. 
Policies:
  • $100 per material for prep/washing and cutting panels; ($200 for items arriving less than 7 days before test date to cover preparation overtime)
  • $200 for shipping a signed hard-copy report internationally

No guarantee is made of when testing will occur; we do all in our power to test within one month of receipt.  

 

All ArcWear.com testing is performed at Kinectrics High Current lab in Toronto, Canada.  Kinectrics is an ISO 17025 accredited lab by the Standards Council of Canada.
                        
Commitments for not selling melting materials as "FR".  Call on OSHA to BAN NFPA 701 from clothing labels.

 

Many on the market still sell supposed "flame resistant polyester".  This is a misnomer.  There is no standard currently published or allowed by law which allows polyester vests, etc., to claim flame resistance.  ArcWear recently received an e-mail from NFPA agreeing that any company selling garments claiming to meet NFPA 701 are misusing that standard.  NFPA 701's scope is CLEAR.

 

NFPA 701 states that it applies "to fabrics or other materials used in curtains, draperies, or other window treatments...." Then the standard commences with a list including: table skirts, table linens, display booth separators, textile wall hangings, window curtains, stage or theater curtains, vertical folding shades, roll-type window shades, hospital privacy curtains, window draperies, fabric vertical shades or blinds, horizontal folding shades, swags, fabric horizontal shades or blinds, plastic films, with or without reinforcement or backing, when used for decorative or other purposes inside a building or as temporary or permanent enclosures for buildings under construction, awnings, tents, tarps, and similar architectural fabric structures and banners.

 

Other companies cite ASTM D6413 which is ONLY A TEST METHOD with no pass/fail criteria.  Test methods are for research.  Specifications are normally required for liability protection.  Claims made from a test method would be held to a higher standard of the applicability of that test method. 

 

Many companies do only offer true arc rated reflective vests and a new company has joined the ranks:

 

Bulwark

Carhartt

Chicago Protective

NSA

Oberon

Stanco

Steelgrip

Workrite

 

Now OccuNomix has joined the ranks! 

 

Click here to read the news release from OccuNomix entitled "OccuNomix Incorporates New Flame Resistance Standards Into High Visibility Workgear".

 

Join the club and do what is right. (Let us know and we'll publicize it for free.)  Purchase your arc rated vests from a company who does not sell deceptive vests.
Don't purchase from a company who sells NFPA 701, FTMS 191A, 5901 or 5903 clothing.  These standards either do not apply to clothing or have been out of print for many years.

 

Purchase F1506, NFPA 2112, ASTM F1891, ASTM F2733 or NFPA Fire standards.  ANSI 107-2010 prohibits making "FR" claims about vests which do not meet these proper standards.  Some manufacturers think they get around the claim by putting ANSI 107 in one label and NFPA 701 in another label.  They tell me they want to do what the market wants.  The market wants the least expensive and most comfortable things that will protect their people, not deception.
 
NFPA 70E Document Information Page Update

Free NFPA Webinar as posted on the NFPA 70E document information page:

 

"Smart Grid and NFPA Electrical Safey Codes and Standards" Webinar, Sponsored by the Fire Protection Research Foundation:   March 21st and June 26th

 

 


Click here to visit the NFPA registration page for this free  webinar. 
ANSI Appointment: Mikhail Golovkov & Hugh Hoagland

 

 

The US National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (USNC/IEC) appointed Mikhail Golovkov and Hugh Hoagland of ArcWear.com as Experts on the IEC TC 78 WG 13 and IEC 61482-1-1, the International Arc Flash Testing Standard.

 

Click here to read more about USNC/IEC.

  

2012 ERI NFPA 70E Safety Videos Available

 

 

We currently have in-stock the following ERI Safety Videos:

 

2012 NFPA 70E Electrical Safety in the Workplace

#2984 w/subtitles - 25 minutes

#4730 concise version - 13 minutes

 

 

Click here to visit the e-Hazard online store or call us at 502.716.7073.

 ISSA Resource Guide for PPE Selection
The new edition of the ISSA "Guideline for the Selection of PPE When Exposed to the Thermal Effects of an Electric Fault Arc" is finished and published.  


I was a member of the international working group that revised the guideline and worked out this new edition.
 
 
ISSA Guideline for PPE Selection Book
from ISSA / International Social Security Association / Section for Electricity, Gas and Water.  
Electrical Safety News
02-24-2012 13:15:39 PM

Citations won't be filed after two young farm workers were electrocuted while removing tassels from corn in rural northwestern Illinois last summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced January 25th. The investigation found lightening may have struck the field's irrigation system. About 72 people working for St. Louis-based Monsanto Corp. were de-tasseling corn when the accident occurred....�

 

02-24-2012 13:11:51 PM

So much energy was pulsing through the transmission lines of the electric tower that Blake Hubbard climbed that the teen may not have touched anything before he was shocked and fell. A report submitted Monday by Duke Energy officials to the state utility commission indicated Blake, 14, could have been shocked because he might have touched a transmission line or because he had climbed too close to the high-voltage equipment, a Duke Energy spokeswoman said Wednesday. ...�

 

02-24-2012 13:11:22 PM

No enforcement action will be forthcoming due to an electrical explosion from a generator that threw a workman to the ground, blinded him in one eye, and required a metal plate in his broken wrist. Click here to follow this article from 1/31....�

 

02-24-2012 12:52:27 PM

Two electricians were hurt in an explosion while preparing a job proposal, not realizing that a live wire had energized the power box. Click here to read more on this electrical accident from 1/31....�

 

02-24-2012 12:51:39 PM

Two construction workers were injured at an East Texas Power Plant in Nacogdoches on 1/31 when 440 volts arced, causing an explosion.  They had severe electrical burns and were listed in critical condition.  OSHA 1910.269 and 1926 along with NESC cover this type of work in a utility setting. Click here to read more about this electrical [...]...�

 

02-24-2012 12:50:04 PM

ConEdison tested FR clothing in real-life utility situations inside manholes, transformer vaults, and bucket trucks.  The testing gives individuals the opportunity to view the results of various clothing options. Click here to view the 5 minute video of testing results....�

 

02-24-2012 12:38:20 PM

An Iowa rule requiring farmers to have safety inspections after performing electrical work amounts to an unnecessary regulatory burden and should be rescinded, Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday in filing a formal objection that is expected to result in a legal battle. ...�

 

02-24-2012 12:36:37 PM

In the US we frequently see a cartoon of a little boy urinating on something in the back window of a truck. Thought is might sound a bit strange. This kind of behavior can lead to death in a utility substation. A metal thief was seriously injured during an electrical substation explosion.   An accomplice indicated [...]...�

 

02-24-2012 12:33:25 PM

A disused sawmill in NZ was the site for injuries received during a switchboard "blowback".  Awareness of all employees is critical. Training to stand to the side of equipment (when possible), proper installation for safe operation and maintenance and remote operation when practical.  Some level of arc flash training for operators, and some level of arc [...]...�

 

02-24-2012 12:27:00 PM

Several workers sustained injuries while assisting a mobile crane hook-up equipment near overhead power lines.  Both were knocked to the ground following a bright flash of light.  One is in very serious condition, while the other suffered burns. Click here to read the report from BC on 2/17/12....�

ASTM  F1701 Standard Revision
 The F1701 - Standard Specification for Unused Rope with Special Electrical Properties has been revised to F1701-12.  

ASTM International Logo
 
 IEEE-ESW Best Paper Awards

 

 IEEE Best Paper Rewards

 Eva Clark of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory presents Best Paper Awards to Daniel Roberts--Schneider Electric, Lanny Floyd--DuPont, and Hugh Hoagland --
e-Hazard.com/ArcWear.com.



 

 

CSA Explains Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard - Part 3
The online Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine   includes Part 3 of the video discussion regarding the 2012 Edition of Z462.   
2012 IEEE-ESW Conference Report

 

 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop, January 2012, Daytona Beach:



IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop, Daytona, FL

 

Click here for a visit to the photo gallery from the Workshop.

Our newsletter is sponsored by many companies around the world.  If you have ideas for articles or have questions, don't hesitate to write.

 

Sincerely,

Hugh Hoagland
ArcWear.com
13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd. Suite E
Louisville, KY 40223
Office: 502-333-0510